China News Agency, Moscow, March 14 (Reporter Wang Xiujun) Russian President Putin signed a draft amendment to the constitution on the 14th.
The draft constitutional amendment has previously been approved by the State Duma (lower house of parliament) and the Federal Council (upper house of parliament). Earlier on the 14th, the Russian Federal Council confirmed that the draft amendments to the Constitution were passed in all local councils.
According to the Russian Presidential News Network, Putin sent a letter to the Constitutional Court on the 14th asking the court to conduct a constitutional review of the draft amendment. In the letter, Putin specifically asked the Constitutional Court to comment on the feasibility of the draft president's term change.
The Russian Constitutional Court issued a statement on the same day saying that it had received a letter from Putin. The Constitutional Court will make a decision within 7 days.
According to the procedure, if the draft is approved by the Constitutional Court, Russia will hold a referendum on the draft on April 22.
When Putin issued his State of the Union address on January 15, he proposed amendments to the Constitution's Basic Law. Constitutional amendments include clarifying the status of the Council of State, expanding the power of the State Duma, empowering the Federal Council to appoint the President of the Supreme Court, and prohibiting the cessation of state territory. The constitutional amendments, which were added during the second reading of the draft by the State Duma to allow the current Russian president to participate again in the 2024 general election, have attracted outside attention. (Finish)